The Truth Doesn't Hurt Unless It Ought To
by Fifteen Minutes Old
Summary: It has been five years since Erin found out she was adopted. As she enters a new stage of her life she can't help but wonder what her life would have been like if she had never become a Montgomery-Wilder. Sequal to "The Truth Hurts". PADDISON


This is the sequal to my story the "Truth Hurts", you should probably read that one before this (and review :D).

So, basically it's set 5 years after the other one and Erin meets Darcy for the first time.

The title is a quote said by B..

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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It's been five years since I found out the truth about being adopted. As much as I would love to say it didn't change much I would be lying. I still love my mum and dad, and I still call them that. Over the years, when I have been angry I have shouted the phrase 'you are not my mother' a few times- but every time I did she looked heartbroken and I instantly felt bad. If anyone asks me about the adoption I brush it off. Addison Montgomery- Wilder is my mother and Pete Wilder is my father. It's a fact really. They may not have brought me into this world, but as Dad would say they have done a damn good job bringing me up in it. Despite all of this a part of me still wants to know my birth mother and father. Everyone deserves to know where they come from. I at least want to know who they are, I still don't know if I want to meet them. She abandoned me twice. My mum has never left me behind, once she freaked out because she forgot to pick me up from school and she showered me with whatever I wanted for about a week. There's the real difference. My birth mother couldn't handle loving me because it would have ruined her young life. My mum loved me despite the fact I wasn't her own.

Things did change though. It was so hard at first. Everyone I had ever really trusted had known I was adopted. Uncle Sam, Aunt Naomi, Aunt Violet, Uncle Cooper and Aunt Charlotte had all known. Everyone I had called family had been lying to me. Well- that is how I saw it originally. Now I just see it as them protecting me from the truth. A few months after I found out I asked my mother for more details, she told me as much as she knew but refused to tell me where my birth mom lived. She said it would hurt everyone too much. I know she is afraid of losing me, and always has been, it could only have gotten worse after my brother's death. No matter how many times I tell her that she is my mother I can still see the worry in her eyes. She's been even worse lately- but I suppose no mother wants their child to leave home for college. Especially when I'll be on the other side of the country. I will be following in her footsteps by going to Yale. I'll be studying Biochemistry, with the intention of going to Med School after, most probably at Yale too. I have always wanted to be a doctor, purely because my parents were. When I found out I was adopted I still wanted to be one, ironically I want to specialise in Genetics. Right now I hope I can specialise in it and be a neo-natal surgeon who ,just like my mum. My dad always jokes that I will knock her off the top of being the best in the world, a small part of me hopes he is right. Not vindictively, I just want to be the best. That's another thing I think about a lot. If my birth mum had kept me would I have the same ambition? Would I want to be a doctor? I hope so, but I know it's unlikely.

I am so caught up in my thoughts I almost miss them calling out my name. I shake my thoughts away and stand up and walk towards the podium at my graduation. Did I mention I am class president and the valedictorian? Time to make a speech. I've been rehearsing all month. I look to my parents who are sitting at the front. They look so proud of me; I hope they know I am proud to be their daughter.

"Welcome class of 2025..."

* * *

As soon as the ceremony is over my mum and dad practically run at me. I am enveloped in a hug before I know what's going on. My mum has been a bit over-excited today. I almost died of embarrassment when I received my diploma. I don't think I have ever heard her cheer so loudly.

"Well done sweetheart- we are so proud of you." My mum says as she hugs me.

"Thanks Mum." Its then dad's turn, who also chooses to push my hat off my head,. I quickly pull it back on to cover my hat hair and my mum scolds my dad. I straighten myself out and push the red locks back into place. I've been dying it this way for years now. It makes me feel better about the situation and I think it does the same for mum. Plus we do look quite alike when my hair is red. My mum seemed to freeze up suddenly. "Mum- are you ok?"I follow her gaze to a woman I did not know, who was watching us together.

"Pete-" She started.

"Yeah I know. Come on Erin lets go see your friends." He tried to turn me around, but I refused.

"Who is it?" I was confused, and concerned. Who an earth would make my mum react like that? Oh my God...could she be...was this woman my birth mum. I looked at her, she walked closer. She looked like me. I looked like her. "Oh my God." My mum turned to me, dread in her eyes. "Can we go?" I asked desperately.

"If you want to." My mum replied, putting and arm around me and walking me away. She was here. My birth mum had gone to my graduation. I was so shocked I could barely move. The car journey home was silent. My dad seemed angry; my mum was upset and silently crying. I was still in shock. She wanted to see me. After all these years my birth mum wanted to see me. I suddenly realised I wanted to talk to her.

* * *

It turns out that she has known where I am for a while. The next day I received a letter from her, saying she was sorry and wanted to talk to me. When I told my mum I wanted to see her I could tell she was upset. Despite that, she was here sitting with me and holding my hand as I waited for my birth mum to turn up. I had dad on my other side. I was meeting her in a park so we could talk. My parents were going to wait with me until she turned up. She was late, and I started to think she had abandoned me for the third time. Then, I felt my mum stiffen saw her walking towards us. I stood up, after hugging my mum and walked towards her. I looked back to see my dad sliding closer to my mum and hugging her. I approached the stranger in front of me, wishing like I had for so many years that I was the biological daughter of the people behind me.

"Hello." I say quietly, realising that in all the years I had been picturing the possibility of this moment happening I had never thought about what I would say to her. She looks nervous too.

"Hi, I'm Darcy." She said back. She looks different to what I expected, not that at this moment I am too sure what I expected. We walked together in silence, towards another bench. We can no longer see my parents.

"Why did you," I pause, not overly sure what to say, "Why did you contact me?"

"I wanted to know you."

"You wanted to know me? Surely it is a little late for that." A part of me considers this is unreasonable, the other part knows I have a right to be angry at this woman.

"I know I disappointed you, and I know it's upsetting. But I am your mother and I-"

"You are not my mother."

"Erin, look I'm-" She put her hand over mine, I jumped up. Apparently this woman made me very angry.

"Don't! You are not my mum, and you abandoned me. Twice! I have known that I am adopted for five years, don't you think that if I wanted to see you I would have tried by now So not only have did you leave me you took away my right to choose if I wanted to know you or not." She looked shocked at my outburst.

"I was young, younger than you are now. I could barely look after myself let alone a baby. And Dr Montgomery was so good with you. She really loved spending time with you." I sat back down next to her. We sat in silence for another few seconds. "So, are you going to college?" It seemed like a strange question, but I thought I should give her something.

"I'm going to Yale, to study Biochemistry. I want to be a doctor." Darcy smiled at me, even thinking of her as my mum felt wrong.

"Wow- you must be clever."

"I have never received a grade lower than an A-." She laughed when I said this, Mum always tells me I'm big-headed, Dad says I deserve to be. I suppose I get my ego off him. "Are you married?" I ask her.

"Yes, not to your father though." I almost shouted at her again, but I knew what she meant.

"Why not?"

"We weren't right for each other."

"Do you have children?" I ask tentavtily, she suddenly looked guilty.

"Yes. Two sons, they are 13 and 11." This hurt more than it should have; I wondered why I wasn't good enough for her. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I did." I started sadly. "I had a brother, called Toby. He died when I was eight."

"I'm sorry."

"It's hard, but you grow to live with it. Why did it take you so long to come find me?" She looked guilty again. She was silent, she didn't have an answer. "You know I always imagined this moment. From when I found out that I was adopted a part of me wanted to meet you." I stood up. "Did you even know I knew?" She avoided my gaze, I guess not. "I could have been totally oblivious to the fact I was adopted and read that letter from you." I felt tears starting to form in my eyes. "I can't deal with this." I started to walk away from her, but she finally spoke again.

"I did love you." I turned towards her.

"How can you even say that? If you had loved me you would have kept me- and not been concerned how it would have ruined your life. My mum cannot have children of her own! And when she managed it he died at the age of six. Do you know what she would give to have her own kids, or to even have me as her biological daughter?" She looked ashamed at herself. "She would give everything." I shouted. By this stage I had tears running down my face, and I realised we had attracted some attention. I wiped the tears away angrily. "I'm going to go. Don't try and contact me- I won't reply." I turned away yet again.

"Melanie-" She could tell she had made a mistake, I could see the look on her face as she let the name slip past her lips

"My name is Erin. It hasn't been Melanie for a very long time."

"Don't you want to meet your brothers?" She looked at me hopefully.

"No. They are not my brothers, I have never met them. My brother is dead." I finally turned and walked away, ignoring her calling after me. As I walked back towards my parents I tried to smile through my tears, but mum could tell I was upset. She hugged me tightly and my dad took the other side. Despite everything, I do really love my family.

* * *

I can't believe this day is finally here, I'm moving out of my childhood home. I am standing on the decking looking over the area of beach that I have dubbed as mine since I was about four. My mum walks up behind me and stands next to me.

"Well your father finally managed to get all your stuff in the car. The rest of it will arrive at college in a couple of days." I nodded, knowing it was time to go. "Are you okay honey?"

"I'm going to miss the beach." My mum laughed at my response and put an arm around me.

"Well you will be back for Thanksgiving and Christmas before you know it."

"If dad's cooking then yeah, if you are I think I'll stay in Connecticut to avoid the food poisoning."

"Don't be cheeky! Well you can always go to your grandparents for the holidays." She smirked at me as I grimaced.

"No thanks, I'd rather take my chances with your cooking." She was about to say something else but my dad walked out onto the decking with us.

"Sorry to interrupt ladies but we have a plane to catch." He walked up in between us and put an arm around each of us. I feel a bit bad for him, knowing that on the plane home my mother will most likely be hysterical. They insisted on flying there with me to help me settle in, and as much as I would like to pretend otherwise I am glad they are coming.

"Okay. Let's go." I said walking towards the house again. I took one last look at the beach and walked inside.

* * *

My roommate is very preppy. VERY preppy. Not that it's a bad thing, she was just quite full on when I first met her. Now I'm a bit more used to her it's ok, she is rubbish with names though. I suppose I did give her a bit of a shock when I gave her the full 'Erin Carson Forbes Montgomery- Wilder' though.

"So I can just call you Erin?" She asked for what felt like the hundredth time that evening.

"Yes Annie, Erin is fine." She smiles at me, and looks like she is trying to make some conversation.

"I love your hair, you get it of your mum right?" My hands fly to my dyed red hair and I smile.

"Yeah I do, thanks."

"You really look like her!" She exclaimed, and I smiled wider. "Don't worry it's a compliment. She is very pretty." I suddenly seemed to realise for the first time in a long time I was somewhere where no one knew I was adopted.

"Thank you. Everyone always says that." Why not be a little creative? What Annie knows doesn't hurt her, and anyway I'm sure we will get along just fine.

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There you have it!

What did you think?

Please Review :)

Fifteen Minutes Old x X X

P.S. I am planning a sequal to "A New Word" so look out for that, it's likely to be a multi-chapter story rather than a one shot. And there should be a 6th chapter to "Headlights on Dark Roads" in the next few days. I have quite a lot of essays due in a few weeks, and I am a terrible procrastinator!


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